Trump's Middle East Tour Wins Boeing Orders For Nearly 200 Planes
RIYADH, SAUDI ARABIA - MAY 13: (——EDITORIAL USE ONLY - MANDATORY CREDIT - 'BANDAR AL-JALOUD / SAUDI ... More ROYAL COURT / HANDOUT' - NO MARKETING NO ADVERTISING CAMPAIGNS - DISTRIBUTED AS A SERVICE TO CLIENTS——) US President Donald Trump (L) is welcomed by Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman Al Saud (R) as he arrives at Malik Khalid Airport, for the first leg of his three-country Middle East tour in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia on May 13, 2025. (Photo by Bandar Al-Jaloud/Saudi Royal Court/Anadolu via Getty Images)
Boeing has benefited significantly from U.S. President Donald Trump's visit to the Middle East this week. Yesterday, it first gained an order in Saudi Arabia for up to 30 737 MAX jets. Today, the manufacturer also received an anticipated order for at least 160 aircraft from Qatar Airways. While neither Boeing nor the airline have released the order details, it is expected to be for Boeing 787 Dreamliner long-haul aircraft.
AviLease confirmed the Saudi order for 737 MAX narrowbody planes. The lessor placed firm orders for up to 20 737-8 jets with options for 10 more. This is also the first time the lessor has placed a direct order with Boeing.
'We are pleased to conclude our first direct Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM) order, complementing our growth strategy towards being at the top of the industry,' said Edward O'Byrne, CEO of AviLease. 'These new aircraft will accelerate our growth and enable us to deliver the industry's latest generation, fuel–efficient fleet solutions.'
The narrowbody planes will support Saudi Arabia's tourism growth plans. The Kingdom aims to attract 150 million visitors by 2030, serving 330 million passengers in its aviation sector. The lessor expects to receive the 30 new 737-8 planes by 2032.
Avilease currently owns a fleet of 200 aircraft that are on lease to 48 airlines.
'The 737 MAX will diversify AviLease's portfolio by delivering unrivalled fuel efficiency and market-leading versatility. It's a powerful combination that will fuel AviLease's profitable global expansion and support their airline customers' business and sustainability goals,' Brad McMullen, Boeing senior vice president of Commercial Sales and Marketing, said in Boeing's announcement of the deal.
Boeing CEO Kelly Ortberg accompanied the president on his trip as part of a delegation of business executives. Qatar Airways signed the agreement for the aircraft today while President Trump was in Doha, with Ortberg also present to close the deal.
The Qatar Airways Group, which includes Qatar Airways, Qatar Airways Cargo, and Qatar Executive, currently operates a mixed fleet of 269 Airbus, Boeing and Gulfstream aircraft. Data from Planespotters shows that, aside from nine relatively young (four and a half years average) Boeing 737 MAX 8 narrowbody aircraft, the Group holds 92 Boeing 777s with an average age of 11 years. These include:
The airline group is also expecting delivery of one more Boeing 777-200 and two of Boeing's new 777Xs (777-9), which are still pending certification by the Federal Aviation Administration.
Qatar Airways Group also has a long-haul fleet of 53 Boeing 787 Dreamliners, with an average age of 7.7 years. These include:
The Group has one additional 787-8 Dreamliner and two additional 787-9s pending delivery.
Adding 160 Boeing long-haul aircraft to the fleet would significantly increase the airline group's ability to expand its international routes and reliance on Boeing aircraft in its operations.
Qatar Airways' total Airbus fleet consists of 109 planes, with five additional aircraft pending delivery. The airline's narrowbody fleet is largely Airbus, with two 20-year-old Airbus A319s and 28 Airbus A320s with an average age of nearly 13 years.
Qatar's Airbus widebody fleet consists of 11 Airbus A330s, with an average age of almost 18 years, two Airbus A340s, which are almost 27 years old on average, and 58 relatively new (seven years average) Airbus A350XWBs. The airline is still expecting delivery of three additional A350s.
Qatar Airways also has a fleet of eight Airbus A380 superjumbos, with an average age of nine years.
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